Azernews.Az

The Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) has passed a final document reaffirming the importance of resolving the Nagorno Karabakh conflict within Azerbaijan`s territorial integrity at a recent ministerial in Egypt, the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry spokesman has said.

``The final document was adopted by the NAM Coordinating Bureau on May 9,`` Elman Abdullayev told a press briefing.

Abdullayev said one of the clauses of the document confirms that the conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan poses a threat to stability and security in the region. The NAM ministers reaffirmed the importance of the conflict settlement based on three internationally recognized principles - negotiations, respect for Azerbaijan`s territorial integrity and non-use of force, he said.

According to Abdullayev, the fact that the Movement, which includes about 120 countries, adopted such a document proves that Azerbaijan has a fair position on the Karabakh issue.

The Karabakh conflict emerged in 1988 due to Armenia`s territorial claims. Azerbaijan and Armenia waged a brutal war which claimed some 30,000 lives and displaced about a million Azerbaijanis. About 20 percent of Azerbaijani territory has been under the occupation of Armenian armed forces since a ceasefire was signed in 1994. Peace talks, brokered by the United States, Russia and France through the OSCE Minsk Group, have been largely fruitless so far.

Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov, who attended the ministerial of the NAM member countries in Sharm el-Sheikh, addressed the event and held a number of bilateral meetings on its sidelines.

Established by 25 countries at the Belgrade conference in 1961, the Non-Aligned Movement is an organization of countries based on the principles of non-participation in military blocs. The NAM is the second largest international political organization in terms of its members next to the U.N. It includes 118 states, while 20 more countries have observer status. Azerbaijan became a NAM member in May 2011.